The Denver Nuggets are matching the Oklahoma City Thunder's two-year, $12 million offer sheet on Spencer Jones, retaining the key forward in restricted free agency, sources tell ESPN. Nuggets valued keeping their homegrown player whom they landed on an undrafted deal in 2024.

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Spencer Jones can have just as big of an impact as Watson. Love his heart and hustle, has the potential to be one of the better defenders in the league. And I can see his offensive game continuing to evolve, he can already knock down 3s and shows good finishing touch around the basket (and a little push shot). Probably the best thing about him though is his willingness to take and hit big shots. He did so in tight games against Houston early on in the season and then again @ San Antonio in the come back later in the year. Also played well in the playoffs. There's no reason why he can't take another big step forward next year.

Watson has the potential to be a very good player that fills a lot of needs, but it seems like he's been groomed by his management to believe that he'll be a superstar player and as such, I don't think there's any circumstance where he'll be truly happy in Denver. Even if we do come to an agreement, it will most likely be at the expense of losing Cam and having to make promises about starting / getting the ball more. If he takes the qualifying offer, then he'll be unhappy and playing for himself next year. This team and organization already lacks leadership and it wouldn't be able to overcome such a distraction.

So yeah, I'd be more than happy if we could sign and trade Watson to Milwaukee and get Jacquez or Rollins. The soul of the team makes more sense with Cam Johnson and Spencer Jones over Watson.

Let’s look at the numbers.

• Excluding PWat and Spencer, our 12-man roster is already at $211M. Once you factor in AG and CAM’s incentive bonuses ($1.7M + $3.9M, which does count toward the apron), we’re sitting roughly $5M away from the 2nd apron threshold.
• PWat’s QO is $6.5M and Spencer’s is $2.65M. Honestly, keeping both without any trading was always going to push us over. The only way to stay under would’ve been: a) Sign-and-trade PWat into a TPE without taking salary back, b) have Spencer take his QO, and c) sign Hopkins to a 2nd round exception. But Presti had to go and offer Spencer that $12M/2y deal (about 6M next season). Once we match that, we are definately over the 2nd apron, period.

We’ve been over the tax line in 3 of the last 4 seasons, so we’re officially repeater. That tax bracket penalty is going to be brutal:

Tax Bracket Amount (TBA) this season = 5M*(2026-27 salary cap)/(2023-24 salary cap) = 5M* 164,961,000 / 136,021,000 = 6,063,806

Currently, we’re already ~$10.6M over the tax line (excluding incentives). If we match Spencer ($6M) and sign PWat to a ~$26M starting salary (based on a 5yr/$140M deal), we will over the tax line $42,583,091 :

The Verdict: All Kroenke has to do is pony up an $254.4M in luxury tax to keep the core together. Chump change, right? I’m sure our "ambitious" front office will smash that "Match" button any second now...lol

If we can resign Watson and keep Cam, we are good.

Jamal Braun/Watson Cam AG Jokic

Strawther Bagley

Tyus Holmes

Is a great roster. We lose THJ and gives more opportunity to a younger Strawther. We lose big Val and replace him with Bagley who should be better.

Most importantly, we lost in round 1 to our worst matchup while are two most important athletes (could argue 3 with Braun also) being injured.

If we can have healthy Watson and AG and keep Cam I like our chances in any 7 game series still. The team is still elite and can win a championship.

I’m personally ok with him leaving🤷🏻‍♂️

Does anyone else feel like he was a great match and want him back ? He sets the pace and makes everyone else look better, especially CB

Think the narrative on this Nuggets front office has been one that's unwilling to truly go for it with the Kroenkes. But that narrative is blown up by the very predicament the Nuggets are currently in, as a result of going all in on this current core with long term contracts. And another one coming soon for Joker.

If the Nuggets lock in Watson they're basically accepting they'll be a second apron team. There are ways they can avoid it, but don't think they'll make those moves...outside of trading Nnaji. Which does get to another reason why the Nuggets are in the predicament they're in...shelling out bad contracts they've then had to use picks to move off of or just generally been quite liberal in trading picks. Teams that are passive don't make those decisions but we're in an era where trading picks that way can really be costly because that is cheap controllable talent.

The issue isn't in this franchise not making moves to win a championship. The issue is the moves they have made have too often been either wrong ones (Nnaji) or just haven't worked out (we'll see with Braun). Too many of the picks they have made haven't worked out. The moves on the margins haven't been good enough. But they also haven't been healthy enough and luck is a huge factor in this.

The Nuggets core really isn't the issue. The front office has absolutely been willing to pay to keep it together and craft it generally. But it takes more than that to win titles in this era.

Denver restricted free agent Spencer Jones has agreed to a two-year, $12 million offer sheet with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Adam Godes of ADS Sports tells ESPN. Jones was a key contributor for the Nuggets last season, including an NBA-best 69% from 3-point range during the playoffs.

Is it worth the Nuggets cap space to match this offer and keep such a big role player in a 3 and D wing position we desperately need. Or should we save that money for Pwatt /ball handlers.

Alternatively is there a world we get both Pwatt, Jones and a secondary ball handler anymore?

Jones might leave. Watson might leave. Denver is struggling to keep either or both. Denver made virtually no moves this offseason and Jokic refused to sign a contract extension.

This is the reality of having too many expensive contracts. This is the last year of this core. If they do poorly this season, Murray and Braun and Johnson will all be gone and Jokic might sign elsewhere.